Srinagar: The Food Safety Wing of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has intensified enforcement and surveillance drives in the tourist destinations of Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Srinagar to ensure the availability of safe and hygienic food.
According to an official statement, Food Safety Officers inspected 56 hotels, restaurants and other food establishments to assess compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including hygiene and sanitation practices, food handling, storage conditions and other statutory requirements.
During the drive, 31 food samples—20 from Pahalgam, five from Sonamarg and six from Srinagar—were collected and sent to NABL-accredited food testing laboratories for analysis.
The inspections also detected hygiene and sanitation violations, following which two cases were registered under Section 56 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The FDA said a penalty of ₹10,500 was imposed and recovered from three food business operators for violating hygiene and sanitation norms.
The administration said enforcement and surveillance drives would continue across the Union Territory, particularly in tourist destinations witnessing heavy footfall, to ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
The FDA has appealed to consumers to report suspected unsafe food products through its toll-free helpline (104) or by email.
